"Justin" time
(original) -
Volume 3, Number 1 • January, 2002
by Antoinette Stillwell
Justin is a young man with tremendous presence. His towering 6'5" frame and powerful build make you think this guy has to be a tackle or blocking back - only answering to Coach Jones. But once you get to know him, he's really a big Teddy bear. He's also a luminous star on the Hawaii music scene; add "sensitive poet" to this 1996 Kalaheo High School grad's bio, and you have chemistry that's going to take him to places that aspiring artists rarely achieve in the ever-changing world of music hype. His respectful manner and warm demeanor will no doubt take local boy Justin everywhere he wants to go. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for turning out a well-rounded and intriguing person. This guy is one of a kind.
Justin (his last name is Young, although he doesn't use it in his professional career) recently headlined at Kapono's Bar and Grill at the Aloha Tower Market Place. He and friend Sean Pimental were wrapping up their month-long engagement at the popular sunset show when I met with him. Justin proved to have the voice of an angel and the presence of a king. He draws his audience in with his relaxed style, and he can turn out a tasty tune on his favorite guitar. All this adds up to a sure combination to send Justin to the top of the charts.
Justin chatted with me between sets, and I had a chance to learn a little about him and his future goals. He told me that he writes most of his own music, "gathering material from life's experiences that are unique to me." He attended the UCLA Extension Program Music Entertainment Studies Program in California last year. He came home this past summer to take a break and gather his thoughts. Plans to go back to California to pursue his dream in the gargantuan recording scene in Southern California are in the works. With six albums under his belt and his new CD "The Dreaming Kind" debuting as the number one song in the state and a hit on local radio stations, this soft-spoken Hawaiian, Chinese, Korean, English, locally bred 23-year-old with meltingly brown eyes is on his way.
After we spoke, I stayed to hear more of Justin's soothing sounds. He went through a repertoire of local favorites, drew big hands with his Hawaiian tunes, and showcased some of his own hauntingly beautiful ballads. His rendition of "More Than Words" by Extreme is exquisite. To coin a term borrowed from another era, he's quite a crooner.
And then this versatile entertainer filled the sunset-lit sky against a backdrop of a Hawaiian flag with one of the purest falsetto voices I've ever heard. I watched as the audience reveled in the magic and the young ladies in the crowd moved forward to the front-row seats.
Justin's gentle, soulful songs are filled with aloha. His new CD and his others are available at Tower Records, 7-Eleven stores, and Long's. Justin is off to the mainland to spread his Teddy-bear charm to LA's shores. Gentle Justin will undoubtedly hold a special place in the hearts of many Hawaii fans. We'll all be watching his star soar to the heavens.
